QinetiQ Hawk

Celebrating its 40th anniversary at RIAT 2013, the Hawker Siddeley, then British Aerospace and now BAE Systems Hawk has proved an outstanding global success story. QinetiQ operates a number of Hawk T1s as part of its aircraft fleet at Boscombe Down, including the first Hawk prototype which made the type's maiden flight in 1974, and the unique ASTRA Hawk with variable stability systems allowing the alteration of handling characteristics in flight. They and two other examples on QinetiQ's strength are used primarily by the Empire Test Pilots' School.